Leonard Maltin’s 2010 Movie Guide, Penguin Books (Plume), 1,645 pages,
$24.95
Reviewer: Rama Gaind
This year has quickly flown on gossamer wings – and it’s time again to get a copy of next year’s mammoth effort by Leonard Maltin. This is a must-have compilation for everyone who loves films.
The 2010 version is bursting at the seams. It is the best, most complete film guide which is also a definitive source of information.
With more than 17,000 capsule movie reviews and 350 new entries, my question is how does he manage to pull off such a mammoth task so successfully?
Leonard is the first to admit that “… along with hundreds of changes, corrections and tweaks that make the book more accurate and, I hope, more useful every year”.
In this sturdy volume, he points out:
“Whenever I read about a director’s cut of a film on DVD, a reissue of a classic that includes long-lost footage, a remake of an old movie or a DVD sequel to a recent one, I automatically make a note for next year’s edition…”
He then mentions some interesting facts like “did you know that Robert Pattinson of ‘Twilight’ fame was in ‘Vanity Fair’ in 2004? Or that Michael Shannon, who earned an Oscar nomination for his work in ‘Revolutionary Road’, has been in films since ‘Groundhog Day’ in 1993?”
Leonard divulges that he appreciates input from readers: “It’s always frustrating to discover an error, but heartening to know that we can set the record straight”.
The highlights are numerous, but here a few including more than 10,000 DVD and 14,000 video listings; there’s new up-to-date list of mail-order and online sources for buying and renting DVDs and videos; newly updated index of leading performers and directors.
There are more official motion picture code ratings from G to NC-17; old and new theatrical and video releases that are rated; reviews of little-known sleepers, foreign films, rarities and camp classics and Leonard’s 10 new must-see movie lists.
You also have exact running times – which provide an invaluable guide for recording and for discovering which movies have been edited.
Yet again, contributors have not only expanded, but improved the collection.
If you get the 2010 Movie Guide, then get its companion volume ‘Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide’ which features many of the older films.
Guaranteed you will not be disappointed with both additions which will take pride of place on your entertainment shelf!
